1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to visual information display screens for use with electronic devices such as portable computers, computer terminals, calculators, process control devices, or the like. More particularly, it relates to display screens including a plurality of screen members with an extensible member pivotally mounted so as to be rotatably adjustable about a pivot point with respect to a primary member.
2. Background Art
Notebook computers have a small viewing screen by design. That is, in order to achieve a small footprint for the notebook computer, the viewing screen is kept small. Increasing the size of the screen typically requires that the footprint be increased. This is not acceptable to a consumer, since a smaller footprint is preferred.
Several approaches to enlarging the viewing screen without increasing the size of the footprint have been proposed. These include (1) a collapsible screen which can be assembled in use and then disassembled and collapsed for compact storage; (2) a display module which is removable from a support module; (3) a secondary display module which is hinge attached for rotation into the plane of a primary display from a position substantially orthogonal thereto; and (4) a rotatable side-panel or monitor wing station mounted to a video display monitor. In these designs, however, the hinged mechanisms employed for rotating the secondary screens are limited in such a manner as to preclude positioning the secondary screen in any orientation (with three degrees of freedom) with respect to the primary screen. Such orientations are often beneficial or required for a user to view the screen in various ambient light conditions including light source location and intensity.
Consequently, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved enlargement of a viewing screen without increasing the footprint of the base device.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved viewing screen, rotatable within a plurality of degrees of freedom with respect to a base device.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a screen mounting apparatus for an enlarged viewing screen including a secondary screen positionable at any orientation with respect to a base device and within a plurality of degrees of freedom with respect to a primary screen without enlarging the footprint of the base device.